In 2018, the UN released an article stating that 55% of the world’s population already lived in urban areas, predicting that by 2050 this percentage would reach 68%. This trend toward greater urbanization carries with it several implications regarding environmental degradation and social inequality. According to National Geographic, urban growth increases air pollution, endangers animal populations, promotes the loss of urban tree cover, and heightens the likelihood of environmental catastrophes such as flash flooding. These health hazards and catastrophic phenomena may be more likely to impact poorer populations, as larger cities tend to demonstrate higher rates of economic inequality and uncontrolled growth tends to produce unequal distributions of space, services, and opportunities.
To mitigate these negative effects of urbanization, designers are increasingly prioritizing sustainability and the maximization of available space – allowing more people to occupy less space with a smaller footprint.
What to Expect from Interiors of the Future
Psychology of Space: How Interiors Impact our Behavior?
With most of our lives spent indoors, the space we occupy has a major role in our psychological behavior. Environmental psychology or Space psychology is, in fact, the interaction between people and the spaces they inhabit. Lighting, colors, configuration, scale, proportions, acoustics, and materials address the senses of the individual and generate a spectrum of feelings and practices.
From inducing warmth and safety, defining well-being, or creating a positive and efficient working environment, space can have a whole lot of impact on how we act or on what we feel; therefore, design and creative measures should be considered according to the social and psychological needs of the occupants.
Camper Store / Oficina Penadés
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Architects: Oficina Penadés
- Area: 180 m²
- Year: 2020
Innovation Hub Acid House Barcelona / ARQUITECTURA-G
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Architects: ARQUITECTURA-G
- Area: 500 m²
- Year: 2019
Bridge House / NOMO STUDIO
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Architects: NOMO STUDIO
- Area: 3875 ft²
- Year: 2019
Landaburu Borda Rural House / Jordi Hidalgo Tané
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Architects: Jordi Hidalgo Tané
- Area: 430 m²
- Year: 2019
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Manufacturers: Parklex Prodema, Parkflex
Casa MJ / Alventosa Morell Arquitectes
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Architects: Alventosa Morell Arquitectes
- Year: 2018
Roquet Coffee Shop / NUA Arquitectures
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Architects: NUA Arquitectures
- Area: 78 m²
- Year: 2019
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Manufacturers: AutoDesk, HAI, Ondacer, Zangra
Duplex in Sant Gervasi / ARQUITECTURA-G
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Architects: ARQUITECTURA-G
- Area: 150 m²
- Year: 2019
Palma Hideaway House / Mariana de Delás
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Architects: Mariana de Delás
- Area: 990 ft²
- Year: 2019
Acne Studios Shop / Arquitectura-G
How to Incorporate Gardens in Home Design
Indoor gardens can contribute important benefits to home living, ranging from aesthetic beauty to improved health and productivity. Research has shown that indoor plants help eliminate indoor air pollutants called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that emanate from adhesives, furnishings, clothing, and solvents, and are known to cause illnesses. They also increase subjective perceptions of concentration and satisfaction, as well as objective measures of productivity. Indoor gardens may even reduce energy use and costs because of the reduced need for air circulation. These benefits complement the obvious aesthetic advantages of a well-designed garden, making the indoor garden an attractive residential feature on several fronts.
"No Fear of Glass", an Artistic Intervention in the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion by Sabine Marcelis
Mies van der Rohe Foundation together with Side Gallery presented "No Fear of Glass", an artistic intervention in the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona, Spain, developed by designer Sabine Marcelis.
Recovery of Merola’s Tower / Carles Enrich Studio
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Arquitectos: Carles Enrich Studio
- Area: 40 m²
- Year: 2019
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Manufacturers: AutoDesk, Tallfusta
Zero Waste in Architecture: Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Human economic activities are naturally dependent on the global ecosystem, and possibilities for economic growth may be limited by the lack of raw materials to supply factory and trade stocks. While for some resources there are still untapped stocks, such as certain metals and minerals, there are others, such as fossil fuels and even water, with serious availability issues in many locations.
MB House / Gabriel Montañés Arquitecto
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Architects: Gabriel Montañés Arquitecto
- Area: 534 m²
- Year: 2017